"Get ready!"
I looked at the mutants, and they stared right back at me, completely shameless, like they didn't care what anyone thought.
"Hey hey hey! Peter already has a girlfriend, don't even think about stealing the flower, okay?!" Harry pointed at them while slinging his arm around my shoulder.
"Are you Peter's boyfriend or something?" one of the mutants raised an eyebrow at Harry.
"What? Nah, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
"If we don't stop being this overly touchy, people are gonna keep thinking we're a gay couple," I whispered to Harry.
"But you're my best friend? What's wrong with being close?"
"Bathing together, pooping together, eating together, and sleeping together—is that not wrong?"
"Nah? Isn't that just what best friends do?"
"..."
Then we grabbed the tug-of-war rope and eyed the mutant team.
Every single one of them looked jacked, so this match definitely wasn't going to be easy.
"START!!"
"UOHH—WHAT THE—?!"
Our whole team got yanked forward even though we were already put in a ton of strength. Even I was shocked by how strong these mutants were.
[Wow, they're this strong at such a young age? They've got potential.] Nya said, sounding genuinely curious.
"Ow momma! WHAT DO THEY EAT TO GET THIS STRONG?!" Harry tried pulling back, but not only did we not move, we got dragged even further.
"Uhh! I'm already using half my strength and we're still getting pulled?!" Sweat poured down my face as I gripped the rope tighter and pulled.
This time, the mutant side suddenly felt themselves sliding toward us.
"They're that strong?"
"No joke! Guess we gotta go all out now!"
Immediately after, our team got yanked again—even harder than before.
"AGH!!" The guy at the front almost crossed the line and panicked.
"Kuhh! Don't screw with us!" Harry's face turned red as he twisted his whole body to pull.
[Need help?]
"Does it come with a price?"
[Nah, you'll just lose the rest of your humanity.]
"I'd have to be insane to accept your help."
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, I decided to go all out too.
If I lose a strength contest, I can't call myself a man anymore!
"UOHHHHH!!"
This time the mutants realized something was wrong.
They were the ones getting pulled now!
"No way?!"
"Kuh… I refuse to accept this!!"
They also went full power and pulled back.
Every member on our team felt like their arms were about to snap, but it didn't help at all.
Then one of our guys suddenly collapsed and passed out.
"HOLY SHIT! WHY'D HE JUST FAINT?!" Harry, as team captain, screamed.
Slowly everyone started giving up; the mutants were gaining the upper hand.
"WE'RE ABOUT TO LOSE!!" Harry roared.
"I… I can't hold on anymore!" Sweat kept pouring off me; my arms were burning.
"…no choice, guess we gotta use the trump card!" Harry told me.
Trump card? Is there someone else?
"GO! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!"
Right after that, a figure appeared standing behind me. I turned around.
"…ahh, of course, it had to be you."
"Obviously! Our school only wins if it's me!"
Who else but Gwen?
She grabbed the rope and pulled once.
Instantly, the entire mutant team felt an overwhelming force.
And they all flew into the air.
"NANI?!!"
Then every single one of them face-planted into the ground. I looked at them, then at Gwen.
"…you're even stronger than me. Are you a gorilla trapped in a human body?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Over at Xavier's school, everyone's jaw dropped.
"I-impossible?!"
"Is she… a mutant too??"
"No! That's not it! She's not a mutant! She seems to be… a super-powered person!"
The heck? When I showed my strength you called me a mutant, but when it's Gwen you call her a super-powered person? Discrimination much?
"She's… that strong?" Marc and Bruce were shocked too; only Tony raised an eyebrow.
"That figure looks familiar… Kinda resembles Ghost Spider… No, it's basically identical."
[Bae, that's the girl who fought alongside Peter against that fish-man the other day. You forgot already forgot?]
"Really? She was so forgettable I didn't notice."
"WE WON!" Harry high-fived me, then tried to high-five Gwen but she dodged.
"So? How was I? Pretty strong, right?" Gwen flexed her biceps at me, eyes sparkling.
"Like a gorilla."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Go ask your muscles."
The middle-aged host picked up the mic again, looked around, and spoke.
"Alright, Group A wins! This school has already won twice in a row—don't the rest of you feel ashamed losing all the time? They're on a win streak, someone break it already!"
"But—"
"But what?! Scared? If you're scared, just cheat! Winning dirty is still winning, right? Just break their legs so they can't win anymore!"
Holy crap, is this guy seriously encouraging them to murder us??
"Now move it! No breaks! The event is still long!!"
"EHHHHH?!" All the participants groaned in despair.
"No whining! This arc has already dragged on too long! Have some consideration for the poor author writing this fanfic!"
[Exactly how many people in this universe can break the fourth wall?]
"Why has no one ever explained to me who this 'author' is??" I was extremely confused.
[Meh, you're too young.]
"Alright, the third sport is… War!"
…?
"Each school picks 30 people! Two people act as the 'horse,' and one person rides on top! Though if you prefer riding just one person, go for it—no rules in war anyway! Get ready now!!"
"I'll be your horse! Red Hare! You know it?" Harry slapped my shoulder.
"Nope?"
"It's Lü Bu's horse! Play FGO and you'll know immediately!"
"But didn't he say we need two people for the horse?"
"Who cares! I'm strong as an elephant! We don't need a third person!"
Why does that sound kinda gay…?
"I wanna join too!!" Gwen raised her hand.
"…" Harry and I looked at her, then at each other.
"Or… maybe let her be the horse? She could probably carry both of us easily."
"Hmm… let's save that for later. I think I have a different plan…" I said.
"Huh?" Gwen tilted her head innocently, completely unaware that the next chapter is going to be very special.